


if i was your vampire (we'll have each other until the sun)

by himemiya



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, M/M, Rating may go up, Romance, Vampires, Violence, author drinks respect suki juice, author plays fast and loose with various vampire canons, author was obsessed with twilight in middle school, because vampires are sexy, no beta we die like jet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:40:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29245962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himemiya/pseuds/himemiya
Summary: [ “There’s a vampire in our dungeon,” Sokka says casually when Aang and Katara stumble out of Aang’s room just after sunrise.The hairband in Katara’s hand snaps. “What,” she says, low and dangerous. Sokka involuntarily shrinks behind the kitchen counter.“I couldn’t—he said the secret code, Katara,” he says, hitting her with the puppy-dog eyes. “And he’s been torn to shreds, whatever he came here for must have been important.” Her scowl deepens. “I chained him up?” He offers uncertainly. ]Juggling a part-time job and an organized resistance against a vampire clan hell-bent on taking over the world is hard. Finding a half-dead Sozin clan defector in the alley makes it both harder and easier. At least he's hot.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 69
Kudos: 200





	1. The Vampire in the Alley

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who got fucking WALLOPED by a devastating combination of pandemic/US election/winter depression-anxiety and stopped doing anything except staring at the ceiling for months. Now I'm back and getting back into the swing of things by writing the exact fic I want to read. Sorry about children of the night--I didn't have the energy to flesh out a whole fantasy universe anymore, or to write a slow burn where they don't even meet propery for several chapters.

Sokka falls over the vampire in the alley.

  
“Ouch, what the fuck, my fucking elbow,” he hisses, scrabbling to pick up his groceries before all the cans roll off and _all this produce was expensive, it better not be ruined or Katara’s going to kill me_ , and he’s not even thinking about what he fell over until it _groans_. A half-opened eye looks at Sokka, but he’s only looking at the sharp teeth behind its parted lips. Fuck.

  
On instinct, Sokka pulls a stake out of his boot. “Who sent you?” he asks. “Why are you here?” He pokes the stake against the vampire’s neck and gets only another groan.

  
“I have…information,” the vampire whispers, his eyes fluttering. “For…Team Avatar. About…the Sozin clan.”

  
“And why,” Sokka says with a scowl, ignoring how the vampire’s voice stirs something in his stomach ( _stupid vampires, that’s how they get you, with their sexy…everything, not noticing the sharp teeth and nails until they’re too close_ ), “would I trust you? _Bloodsucker_ ,” he hisses contemptuously, for good measure.

  
“Besides…the fact that someone tried to kill me to keep me from getting here before sunrise?” the vampire asks, and then he whispers the code phrase and Sokka almost drops the produce again.

  
Sokka checks his watch. Only thirty minutes until sunrise. “Alright,” he says, and steels himself for words he can’t take back. “You can come in.”

  
Of course, the guy can barely talk, let alone walk into the apartment. Now, Sokka has to balance an insane number of groceries on one arm and a beat-up vampire on the other. He and Aang are going to have words about sharing household chores after this.

  
Sokka grunts and tightens his arm around the vampire. He’s weirdly warm. And, not so weirdly, even hotter close up. Sokka gently squeezes a well-muscled arm. He can feel the vampire’s equally built chest pressing against him, and yeah, it is weird that it’s not rising and falling with breath but—hot is hot. Sokka can recognize eye candy, even when it’s beaten half to (un)death and one of his mortal enemies.

  
Mercifully, they don’t run into anyone as they go through the small hallway. They stumble across the threshold of his and Aang’s apartment and Sokka throws him onto the couch. He puts the groceries on the counter and takes the five strides to the window, where he pulls down the blackout curtains that they installed when Toph joined. A burnt crisp of informant doesn’t help them at all. He turns around to size up the vampire he’s let in his home.

  
“Uh,” Sokka says, looking him up and down. He’s been beaten to shit. His black silk shirt (what a cliché) has been torn to shreds, and so has the skin under it. Long black hair is caked to his neck and face by dirt and blood. Sokka can see the telltale signs of wounds knitting themselves back together, which is a good sign. The sun-scar over his left eye must be old. “You just need somewhere dark to heal, right?”

  
The vampire half-opens his eyes again and nods. He even gives a weak thumbs up.

  
Sokka bites his lip and tries to tamp down his guilt. He’s never seen a vampire look quite so pathetic, but he’s still a vampire. “I’m gonna need to, uh, tie you up. Just to make sure.”

  
“I expected that,” the vampire says. He shrugs and immediately hisses. “Where are we going?”

  
Sokka wordlessly moves the coffee table and rug. He twists his ring into the latch, and the door of Team Avatar’s hideout pops up. “It’s down some stairs,” he says apologetically, and _why is Sokka apologizing to a vampire, those bloodsuckers killed his mother_. He compensates by hauling the vampire down the stairs a little rougher than planned. And if he still feels guilty, and winds the special chain he and Teo designed so it avoids the more painful looking wounds, well, his prisoner looks close to unconsciousness, so there are no witnesses.

  
Sokka pulls the chains to make sure they’re secured. “What’s your name?” He says casually, as if he’s not securing a prisoner. As if the prisoner’s not a vampire.

The vampire looks at him again, and Sokka is struck by his golden gaze. “Lee,” he mutters, and then his head lolls forward, as if giving his name took the last bit of energy his body wasn’t using to heal.

  
Sokka ponders as he walks back up the stairs and slams the trap door. “Okay, Lee,” he says to the radishes as he puts them away. “Why did you come here?”

  
***

  
“There’s a vampire in our dungeon,” Sokka says casually when Aang and Katara stumble out of Aang’s room just after sunrise.

  
The hairband in Katara’s hand snaps. “What,” she says, low and dangerous. Sokka involuntarily shrinks behind the kitchen counter.

  
“I couldn’t—he said the secret code, Katara,” he says, hitting her with the puppy-dog eyes. “And he’s been torn to shreds, whatever he came here for must have been important.” Her scowl deepens. “I chained him up?” He offers uncertainly.

  
Her shoulders drop slightly, though the scowl stays. “Do we know anything else about him? Name, clan, how he found us?”

  
“Uh,” Sokka says. “His name is Lee. He kinda passed out after he said that, though.”

  
Katara lets out an exaggerated sigh. “So, how long are we going to let him sleep?” If you asked Sokka, he’d say she stomps over to the windows and pulls open the blackout curtains with way more vitriol than necessary.

  
Aang pipes up. “Did he have a daylight amulet?”

  
Sokka closes his eyes and pictures Lee’s ( _long, gorgeous_ ) fingers. “No. And he mentioned someone wanting to kill him before sunrise, so…” he trails off.

  
Aang rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Okay, so he’s not going to do anything until nighttime anyway, and by then Toph will be here.”

  
Sokka brightens. “Yeah, Katara! There’s no fucking way this guy can get around Toph.”

  
She sighs. “Inviting an unknown vampire in was still incredibly reckless, Sokka! Especially by yourself. You understand that, right?”

  
Sokka feels himself pouting like a petulant child, and he hates it. “What was I supposed to do? Let a possible lead on Ozai burn to a crisp?”

  
“I guess not,” Katara says. She pushes the cutting board and the scallions toward Aang. “Chop while we talk.” He starts chopping obediently.

  
“Aang, can you make him a daylight amulet?” Sokka asks. “I’m guessing he’s going to have to lay low for a while, so it’ll be good just to have.”

  
“If we can trust him,” Katara says.

  
“I thought you got over this when Toph joined,” Sokka says, whisking the eggs by the stove and pointedly ignoring her eyes on his back.

  
“That’s different,” Katara says. “Toph is a Beifong, and she had Aang and Haru to back her up. All we know about this Lee guy is that he’s got ties to the Sozin clan and someone wants to kill him. We don’t even know if that’s his real name!”

  
“Does it really matter if it is?” Sokka says. “We don’t know if any of the Kyoshi Warriors are using their real names.”

  
“That’s—” Katara stomps her foot. “You’re twisting my words, Sokka! His name is the _least_ suspicious part of all this!”

  
It’s Sokka’s turn to sigh. “I don’t know, I guess I just—any vampire who would crawl here this close to sunrise knowing that we’re a slayer den must have some ulterior motive besides eating us all. And he had to get the code from someone.”

  
“We’ll call a full meeting for tonight,” Aang says. “Figure stuff out.” He leans toward Sokka and says, “I’ll work on it after the meeting.”

  
***

  
“I gave the code,” Toph says, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. “Mushi from the Jasmine Dragon told me I should expect a Sozin informant soon.” She grins, and it’s a testament to all the vampire ass Sokka’s seen her kick that he doesn’t flinch away from her bared fangs (much). “I wasn’t expecting Snoozles to fall in love with him, though.”

  
“Why didn’t you tell us—” Katara starts.

  
“I am not—” Sokka starts.

  
“Save it!” Toph says. “Sugar Queen, I didn’t tell you because I assumed that a vampire informant was going to come at night, when I was here anyway. And Snoozles, your heart’s going a mile a minute.” She laughs. “That’s a sign of heightened human emotions.”

  
“Could be lust,” Suki says thoughtfully. She takes a handful of popcorn off the coffee table and retreats to the beanbag chair in the corner.

  
Toph’s eyes widen. “But that’s so much less fun to mock him about! I don’t even know if this guy is hot.”

  
Sokka slides his gaze sideways. “He is,” he mutters.

  
“What was that?” Toph says innocently.

  
“I’m not repeating myself. I know your stupid vampire hearing could pick it up from across the coffee table,” Sokka says, crossing his arms.

  
“My stupid vampire hearing has saved your life at least fifty times. And okay, we’ll go with young lust for now. Twinkletoes!” Toph calls. “Bring a blood bag over as long as you’re by the freezer.”

  
He obliges, and Toph starts slurping in the absolute grossest way possible. Sokka can’t help but cringe.

  
“Could you stop that?” Katara asks, wrapping her arm around Aang and pulling him to the couch. “You’re ruining my appetite.”

  
Toph slurps louder. Katara’s eyebrow twitches. Aang, bless him, changes the subject. “Speaking of, uh, eating, do you have any idea about the last time Lee ate?” He addresses this question to Sokka.

  
Sokka shakes his head. “It was kinda hard to tell how big his pupils were when they were rolling back into his head.” He gives it another thought. “Pretty long ago—I could barely tell that his eyes were gold.”

  
A hiss escapes Katara’s mouth. “Sozin clan colors.”

  
“That doesn’t mean much,” Suki says gently. “It just confirms what we already sort of knew—he’s not just some hired lackey.” Sokka shoots his ex-girlfriend a grateful stare.

  
“Yeah, the Sozin clan is _fucked_ , but they don’t usually maul disobedient hired hands. They just kill them,” Toph says.

  
“So we should bring blood when we go downstairs,” Aang says.

  
“I guess,” Katara says.

  
“We should go check on him soon,” Sokka says. “I mean, let’s see if he can answer questions yet.”

  
Suki’s on her knees and opening the door lightning fast. “Everything all right down there, Lee?” She asks.

  
“Yes,” Lee calls back. His voice is steadier than before. Sokka’s shoulders drop slightly.

  
Suki looks up at Sokka. “You want to bring him some blood? Once he’s eaten, I’ll feel a little better about interrogating a chained informant.” She smiles at him, and he smiles back. Suki really is the best.

  
“Sure,” Sokka says. He gets up and grabs a bag.

  
“By yourself?” Katara asks. She raises an eyebrow.

  
“I’ll go too!” Toph says gleefully. “I want to meet this guy Mushi knows!” She bares her teeth at Katara, though she’s actually facing slightly to the left. “Don’t worry!”

  
Katara sighs. “I’m still going to worry. Leave the door open.”

  
“Yeah, yeah, got it,” Toph says dismissively. Then she throws herself down the stairs, even though Sokka and Teo made a perfectly good mechanical chair that could just take her up and down. She hits the ground with a thunk and starts cackling.

  
“What the fuck,” Sokka hears Lee say flatly. Sokka can’t suppress a snort as he makes his way down the stairs with considerably more caution. They can’t all be nigh-unbreakable vampires.

  
“Well, he doesn’t sound like he’s going to kick it,” Toph says. She’s standing within arm’s reach of Lee, between him and Katara’s impressive crossbow collection.

“That’s good,” Sokka replies. He hops the last two steps to see for himself and gives Lee a once-over. He looks better than before, and worse. He’s fully conscious now. All of the bruises on his body are yellowed, though there are still some uncomfortably oozy gashes on his arms and torso. His head is mostly upright, though he’s tucked it against the chains.

  
On the other hand, his healing wounds make it easy for Sokka to see how filthy and hungry Lee must be. Tar-black vampire blood sticks his torn shirt and pants to his body, and there’s blood and dirt on his neck. His face is mostly untouched, but his cheekbones are gaunt, and his golden irises have narrowed to a thin ring.

  
“He hasn’t eaten in a while,” Toph says. “I can smell it.”

  
Lee’s nose twitches. “Thanks for the food,” he says. His eyes have slid to Sokka’s hands, and his gaze is hungry. Sokka’s stomach twinges, and he has to remind himself that Lee is looking at the blood bag in his hands, not him.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Sokka says, and if his voice is a little higher than normal, at least neither of the two vampires in the room point it out. _Two vampires_. He takes a deep breath, in and out. He might be surrounded by two vampires, but they’re not two enemies. Toph is definitely on their side, and Lee—well, Lee is still a question mark, but at least he’s tied up. “Any…time?” His voice trails off as he walks toward Lee. At least his hands don’t shake when he sticks the straw through the blood bag and holds it up to Lee’s mouth.

  
Lee’s blood drinking noises are significantly less disgusting than Toph’s. Actually, if Sokka pointedly doesn’t look at the dark red liquid going through the straw, it’s not disgusting at all. The only noises he’s making are soft slurps and gentle sighs. Really, Sokka can just focus on Lee’s eyes fluttering and cheeks hollowing as he sucks up the blood—and Sokka needs to turn away from sentences including “Lee” and “suck” _right_ now before Toph decides to make another snarky comment about young lust. He shifts uncomfortably. He should ask Toph later if vampires can sense exactly where the blood in his body is going. No, he shouldn’t. What the fuck is wrong with him. As if on cue, she snorts, and he glares. At least he has something else to focus on now.

  
Lee tilts his head away from the now-empty blood bag. “Thanks,” he says again, softly. Sokka turns back to him. His pupils have narrowed to tiny pinpricks, and his face has a rosy, contented flush.

  
“You’re welcome,” Sokka says, and means it. He looks Lee in the eyes properly for the first time. “How are you feeling?” He asks, and means that too.

  
“Uh, definitely better,” Lee says. He looks at Toph. “I heard that you had a vampire on your team. Is that why you let me in so easily?”

  
“Yes,” Sokka lies. “That and, you know, I figured you wouldn’t have come here with those wounds for no reason.”

  
“I’m Toph,” Toph says. Before Sokka can even blink she’s pushed him back and is standing between the two of them. “You’re the guy that Mushi sent, right?”

  
Lee’s eyes widen. “You’re the one who knows un—Mushi? Yeah, that’s me.” He nods, and mutters. “That makes sense. Humans don’t normally come to the Jasmine Dragon.”

  
“I took Snoozles there once,” Toph says, jerking her thumb behind her. “He was kind of freaked, though, so I never brought him back.”

  
“Yeah, I can understand that. Snoozles—that’s not your _name_ , is it?” Lee looks over Toph’s head at Sokka, and his eyes widen incredulously. She chortles and steps into a defensive stance behind him. Sokka doesn’t really think this Lee guy is a threat, but—it does make him feel better, knowing she’s there.

  
“Of course not,” Sokka scowls. “I get you haven’t spent a lot of time talking to humans, but do you really think that we have names that stupid?”

  
“Yes—I mean, no—I mean, well, I really haven’t spent a lot of time around, uh, humans, like you said,” Lee says. The post-feeding flush is already fading from his face, but what remains underscores his embarrassed expression. “It could be. I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I can hear you guys talking upstairs.”

  
“Well, my name’s Sokka,” Sokka says. He steps forward and holds out his hand on instinct. Lee looks at it, then looks down pointedly. His arms are chained to his sides. Sokka’s blood goes back to his face, and he drops his hand.

  
Toph lets out a full-throated laugh. “Now that you’ve both embarrassed yourselves, I think it’s time we let everyone get down here and hear what Lee has to say!” She raises her voice. “Guys! It’s party time!”


	2. The Vampire in the Dungeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to kick-start the plot. This and the next chapter are pretty high on character interaction and low on action, but I promise I'll make it up to you ;)

When Katara puts a stake to Lee’s face, Sokka begins a mantra of calm and serenity. It goes: _Things could be worse. At least she hasn’t killed him_.

“What’s your name and clan?” She says.

Lee responds to the stake and the questions with a slow blink. His fists clench, but he doesn’t pull at the chains. “My name is Lee, like I told Snoo—Sokka. I’m not in any clan now, I think, but…I used to be in the Sozin clan.”

Katara’s eyes flash dangerously at the mention of _Sozin_. She drags the stake down to his collarbone. Sokka can see Aang grimace, but he stays on the stairs. _At least she hasn’t killed him…yet?_ “So, what changed?” She asks, and there’s bite in her voice. “You decided that torturing and terrorizing humans and other vampires just wasn’t for you anymore?”

“That’s—” Lee says, his voice rising. He pulls at the chains—just for a second, but Katara flinches and Toph steps forward. His eyes widen, and he relaxes. “It doesn’t…is that really what you want to ask me? How does that help you?”

“Well, it might be useful to know what the last straw was,” Katara says. “I can’t even imagine what would need to be bad enough for a _Sozin_ vampire to leave.”

“Katara,” Suki says gently. She steps up and raises the stake, so it’s hovering a couple inches away from Lee’s unscarred cheek. She keeps her fingers curled around it and her other arm pressed to the small of Katara’s back. Sokka looks at her looking at Lee. Her gaze is sharp and wary, but it lacks the fear and malice in Katara’s eyes. It makes him let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Suki continues. “How long were you a member of the Sozin clan? What was your rank?”

Every time they say _Sozin_ , Lee looks incredibly tense. Sokka can empathize, though he can’t help but wonder the story behind it. “I was…my whole life. I’m twenty-three—I’m a born vampire. I was born into the clan. And…” He lets out a sigh he doesn’t need. “Low. They mostly…kept me out of things.”

“So where did you get this information from?” Katara asks. “It could be worthless!”

“It’s not!” Lee snaps. “And I, I used to sneak around.” He snarls and pulls the chain so hard it creaks. “Are you missing where someone tried to _kill me_ to keep me from leaving?”

Sokka sees Katara and Suki’s eyes widen, and he rushes forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Aang get up. They’re both too slow. Before Sokka can even grab a weapon, Toph pushes Katara and Suki out of the way and puts her hands on Lee’s arms. “No, we didn’t miss it,” Toph says. “That’s why we’re asking you. We know it must be important.”

Lee looks down at Toph’s hands, then up into her face. Whatever he sees or senses, it makes him lean back into the chains. He lets out another breath he doesn’t need, and Sokka adds _why do vampires sigh so much_ to the list of questions to ask Toph eventually. Lee looks at Katara, who’s kept a white-knuckled grip on the stake. He looks at Suki, who grabbed a crossbow when Toph shoved her against the shelf. He bites his lip. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I lost my temper. I…shouldn’t have done that. I want to help you.”

Katara backs up, but loosens her grip. Suki doesn’t let go of the crossbow, but she looks Lee up and down appraisingly. “Accepted, for now,” Suki says. “Keep talking.”

Lee looks into Toph’s face as he continues. “You already know about the eclipse next month. The one that will last for a full hour.” It’s not a question.

Sokka is the one who responds. “Yes. We’ve been preparing.” They’ve been stockpiling weapons and doing outreach, convincing civilians to stay in their homes.

“I don’t think you prepared for this,” Lee says. “Ozai is planning to use the eclipse to take over the city. Once he’s secured the entire human population for feeding, he’s going to use it as his base and launch raids on neighboring cities. His goal is to take over the entire peninsula.”

For a moment, Sokka’s knees go weak and his vision goes white. Lee is right—he didn’t plan for that. And he’s not the only one. Aang’s face has gone pale as a sheet, stark against his tattoos. Katara walks toward him and wordlessly takes his hand.

Toph has gone totally still. She breaks the horrified silence. “What about the other clans?” She asks, speaking more to her feet than Lee.

“You were a Beifong, right?” Lee asks. “They made a deal with the Sozins to pull out entirely by the end of the month. They’d already moved most of their bases to Gaoling, so they’ll be out of the way. The only other clan with anywhere near their level of structure is Hama’s.” His face darkens. “He’ll be sending his lieutenant’s team to deal with them right before. He has—” He looks over at Aang and his tattoos, and his face falters. “He has someone who can make daylight amulets. I…I don’t know how she can do it, but she can. I’m sorry,” he almost whispers. “I didn’t know there were any of you left, except her. Ozai thinks she’s the only one.”

Aang’s face is perfectly blank, but his fingers are trembling. “I thought I was the only one,” he says in a low monotone. “What is she—” he starts, and breaks off. He takes a deep breath and threads his fingers through Katara’s. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later.”

“We should talk about it now,” Katara says, and her voice is full of anguish. Her gaze is fiery with rage when she turns it on Lee. “Your clan _destroyed_ the Sun Temples and the monks to take the amulets for themselves. It wasn’t enough? You had to keep a prisoner to keep churning them out?”

“She’s not a prisoner,” Lee says. His jaw is hard. “She works for my—the lieutenant. She’s a vampire. They didn’t know she could do it until recently, she must be—a descendant, or something.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Sokka breathes. He lowers himself to the ground. Bad enough that the Sozin clan has been hording sun amulets for a generation, and bad enough that they’re apparently planning on overturning the city’s fragile peace for world domination. A vampire who can work sun magic—that’s so much worse than he could have possibly imagined. _What are they going to do?_

Like magic, Suki is next to him, her hand on his shoulder. “Hey,” she says. “We’ll figure something out.”

Sokka takes a deep, shaky breath and stands back up. On jelly legs, he makes it over to Lee. He touches Toph’s shoulder lightly, and she backs up. “They still need gold and lapis lazuli to make the amulets,” he says. “We need to disrupt their supply lines. Can you tell us where they get it?”

“I’ll tell you everything I know,” Lee says, and he sounds so sincere that it makes Sokka’s heart twinge.

“Why?” He whispers, but Lee doesn’t respond.

“They used to get them from the Beifongs,” he says, answering the first question. “Gaoling has the biggest supply of lapis in the country—not that they have much. The Beifongs have agreed to run one last, big shipment in a couple weeks. Once the Sozins take Huang Town, they can use its mines, but until then, they need to conserve what they can get. Most of the old amulets were blood-sealed, so they were useless once the monks were killed. Not all of Ty Lee’s—the vampire I told you about—attempts work yet. She doesn’t really know what she’s doing, because, you know—” He looks at Aang, then flicks his gaze back to Sokka. “Some do, but he needs to make sure the ones he has stay at the top. Most of the ranks don’t know he has them, yet.”

“Wow,” Toph says. “No wonder they tried to kill you.” With a twinge, Sokka remembers that they were never able to confirm that the Beifongs were supplying the Sozins. Until now.

“I stole one of hers,” Lee says. “That’s how I got caught. It’s in my pants’ pocket. I can’t,” he says, tugging gently at the chain, “but you can take it and, uh, examine it. See how it measures up.”

“Shouldn’t you take me on a date first?” Sokka jokes, but his heart thuds as he steps closer. He takes a deep breath to calm himself and reaches into the pocket. His fingers brush against Lee’s thigh. Lee’s leg comes up to meet his hand, just for a moment. Through the thin fabric of his pants, his skin is cold and smooth.

“Sorry,” Lee says. “Rain check?” Is his voice huskier than before, or is it Sokka’s imagination?

Sokka chuckles, but avoids his eyes. “Next time.” He holds the ring up to the wall sconce. It looks like Toph’s ring to his untrained eye. “Aang?” He asks, as gently as possible, and holds it out.

Aang looks up with red-rimmed eyes. He stands up and takes the ring from Sokka’s hand. “I’ll look at it in the morning,” he says. “It’s easier to check it in the sun.”

“Is there anything else?” Suki asks. She’s moved across their small basement, back to the weapons shelf.

“Probably,” Lee says. “Do you have any specific questions?”

“Where’s Ozai’s headquarters?” Suki says.

Lee shakes his head. “I’ve only ever gone through the tunnels. It’s too risky to navigate that with humans. They’ll smell you coming. When I came here was the first time I came above ground, and I really don’t remember that.”

Suki nods tersely. “Do you have any other information about the supply run?”

“I know that it will happen on the next new moon and they’ll have Beifong guards, but that’s it.”

Toph has been standing like a statue since Lee mentioned the Beifongs, so Sokka jumps a little when she speaks. “What else did the Beifongs do for Ozai? Why did they decide to leave? They’ve been here for decades.”

“Not much,” Lee says. “They were usually content to stay in their corner of the city and trade with him. And I think they said something happened to their daughter, so they decided to leave.”

Sokka can’t help but look at Toph. She goes still again for a moment. Then she kicks the wall next to her, hard. Even Lee flinches from the _clang_ , his eyes wide. She leaves a dent in the wall, which Sokka will talk to her about later, when she doesn’t look like she’s about to scream or cry. She stalks toward the stairs and Katara and Aang scatter. With her hands, she grabs at the chair and pulls herself up, feels along the panel for the button that Sokka carved, and hits it. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me to break anything,” she says. A dark cloud hovers over her head.

They stay unmoving, even after the tell-tale squeal of the bathroom door slamming shut. Lee breaks the silence. “Uh, was it an ugly exit? From the Beifongs?”

Aang shudders. “You have no idea.” He looks up the stairs, but doesn’t follow Toph.

“How was your exit?” Sokka asks Lee. “I mean, yours didn’t look too pretty, either.”

Lee grimaces. “You saw what I looked like. Ozai’s lieutenant caught me leaving. She has no tolerance for traitors.”

Sokka can’t help a low whistle. “But you survived. That’s pretty impressive, for a lackey.”

Lee shifts uncomfortably. He looks away from Sokka again. “I guess.” There’s a long pause, and then he says: “Anything else?”

Sokka exchanges a glance with Katara. She, in turn, locks eyes with Aang. “Not for now,” she says sharply. “Aang and I are going to go upstairs and get some sleep before sunrise. We’ll come back down if—when—we have questions about the amulet.” Hand in hand, she and Aang walk up the stairs.

“You should sleep, too,” Sokka says to Suki. “Don’t you have a shift at Piandao’s at seven?”

She groans. “Fuck. I can’t believe I signed up for the first shift. I totally forgot.”

“I mean, I understand how,” Sokka says. He looks over at Lee, who’s watching the two of them. “You can sleep in my bed,” he says to Suki.

She smiles gratefully and kisses his cheek. “You’re the best, Sokka,” she says. She raises an eyebrow. “Will you be joining me?”

He shakes his head. His brain is still buzzing with all the information that Lee gave them, and worse, with the feeling of Lee’s skin against his. “I don’t think I could sleep now,” he says. “I’m not scheduled until four, so I’ll just sleep during the day.”

“Okay,” Suki says sympathetically. She leans in close and whispers, “be careful.” With a jaw-cracking yawn, she makes her exit up the stairs.

“Is she your girlfriend?” Lee asks, right after Sokka hears the _creak_ of his bedroom door closing.

“My ex,” Sokka says.

“Oh,” Lee says. “Uh…I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be,” Sokka says with a chuckle. “We’re still good friends.” He smiles fondly toward the entrance. “We’re much better friends than we ever were a couple, honestly.”

“That’s good,” Lee says.

“Yeah,” Sokka agrees. “What about you? You leave a special fanged someone behind when you defected?”

Lee snorts. “This doesn’t seem like a good reconnaissance question.”

“Well, maybe I’m just curious.”

Lee sighs. “I had a girlfriend, but we didn’t last long. And my ex-boyfriend was even worse—for me, anyways.”

_Boyfriend_. Sokka’s skin prickles. “That’s…that’s cool,” he says, trying to inject as much chill into his voice as humanly possible. “Yeah, I also dated Haru—you’ll meet him eventually—for a little bit, but that didn’t work out either.”

Disappointingly, there’s no response from Lee. “It must be hard,” Lee says. “Balancing your normal life, and a romantic life, and your…vampire-hunting job.”

Sokka’s shoulder sag. “It is,” he admits. “But what else can I do? I can’t just live a normal life, knowing that they’re out there.”

Lee bites his lip. “That’s…admirable, Sokka.” His gaze is downcast. “I wish I had thought like that sooner.”

“I mean, I wish you had, too,” Sokka says. When Lee deflates further, he adds, “But at least you’re here now! And you gave us really important information.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Lee says bitterly.

“Nah,” Sokka says. “The least you could do is leave. Instead, you risked your life to come here. I think that makes you an ally.” He grins. “Thanks, buddy.”

Lee snorts, again. “You’re welcome… _buddy_.”

“See,” Sokka says, clapping a hand on his marble shoulder. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Katara is your sister, right?” Lee asks, instead of responding. “She hates me. And she’s scared of me.”

“Our mom was killed by a Sozin clansman when we were young,” Sokka says. “She was the only one there, so she took it harder than I did. It took her a while to warm up to Toph, too. She’ll come around eventually. You’ll earn it.”

“You have a lot of faith in a vampire you barely know,” Lee says. His gaze on Sokka feels like an electric current, rippling through his body.

Sokka swallows. “What can I say?” He says weakly. “Don’t let me down.”

“I’ll try,” Lee says fervently.

If he felt an electric current between them before, now even the air feels supercharged. Sokka takes his hand off Lee and pretends that the vampire can’t feel the pounding of his pulse. “In the meantime, is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable? I think you deserve a little leeway after this. I’ll talk to Katara.”

“Is there any way I could get clean? Like…a bath, or a change of clothes?” Lee asks, hesitantly.

Sokka gulps. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see what I can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, feel free to hit me up @zukosbian on tumblr or in the comments!  
> i looked up how long an eclipse lasts and then decided to make shit up


	3. The Vampire in the Bathtub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like i said in the notes for chapter 2, this chapter is light on plot and heavy on zuko/sokka interactions. the next chapter will have action!  
> there's a very brief (~2 sentence) masturbation scene in this chapter. it's easy to spot, but it's the paragraph that starts "In the bathroom" and ends "a deep, dreamless sleep."

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Katara says. “Actually, even if you are, I’m really not in the mood.”

The dark circles under her eyes make Sokka tamp down the sarcastic comment bubbling in his chest. Clearly, sleep didn’t happen for her or Aang. “I’m not joking,” he says instead.

“Sokka, this is a dangerous vampire! We can’t just unchain him and let him take a _bubble bath_.” She looks over at Aang, frowning over the sun amulet. “I admit that he’s been helpful, but I’m not comfortable letting him go free just yet. What if he hurts Aang? Or you? Or Suki?”

Sokka groans. “I just feel like, after all the guy’s done for us in the past 24 hours, the least we could do is let him clean up a little.” She fixes a decidedly unimpressed stare on him. “What if we had someone stay by him?”

Katara raises an eyebrow. “The only one of us who has a chance of overpowering him if necessary is Toph, and she’s blind and sulking in the bathroom.”

“Well, we only have one bathroom, anyway. Toph and I could both stand guard,” Sokka says weakly. God, he’s fucking exhausted. He’s slept three of the last 24 hours, and he has a shift in twelve. “She’s there if we actually need to subdue him, and I’m just there to let him know that there’s no funny business.”

“I agree with Sokka,” Aang says, without looking up. “Keeping a compliant informant tied up in dirt and his own blood isn’t something we do.” His grip tightens around the amulet. “We’re not monsters,” he says softly.

“Fine,” Katara says. She leans forward and whispers, “This better not be just you thinking with your _dick_ , Sokka.”

He grimaces. “It would be a lie to say that my dick isn’t involved at _all_ ,” he whispers back. “But I’m thinking with my heart!”

“Is your brain involved in this idea at all?” Katara asks, but it lacks the bite she had just a couple minutes ago. _Bless Aang_ , Sokka thinks for probably the millionth time in four years.

“We’re working on it,” Sokka says. “Would anything make you feel better about this?”

“Yes,” Katara says promptly. “I want you to keep his hands tied, as much as you possibly can.”

Sokka sighs. “I thought you might say that,” he admits. “But if you were a prisoner, would you want someone else bathing and changing you?”

“No, but I’m not a _vampire_ ,” Katara says. “Talk about it with Lee. I’m sure if he’s as eager to help as you think, he’ll have no problem proving he’s not a threat.”

***

Sokka doesn’t always hate when Katara is right, but he hates it this time. Lee agrees quickly—too quickly.

“Are you sure?” Sokka asks again. “I could try to change her mind, if you want.”

Lee shakes his head. “I want her to trust me.”

_That doesn’t mean you need to do this_ , Sokka bites back. Lee has the same stubborn glint in his eyes that Katara gets—the one that means _I need to do this_ , even when it doesn’t make sense and it’s harder than it needs to be.

“Fine,” he says instead. At least this pig-headedness is happening in his safe, warm apartment, and he doesn’t need to worry about anyone storming a vampire den armed with a single stake. (Just because Katara _could_ do it, doesn’t mean she should).

“So, how are we doing this?” Lee asks, rolling his arms. The chains rattle.

“Toph!” Sokka calls toward the door. “You still in?”

She comes down on the chair this time. “At the ready, Snoozles,” she says. Her mouth is still set in a hard line, but her eyes crinkle with amusement.

“So,” Sokka says, turning back to Lee. “I’m going to tie your hands now.” He walks toward Lee with a smaller length of chain in his hands. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asks softly. “Last chance.”

Lee nods. This close, Sokka has to admit he mostly smells like blood and dirt. A bath is a good idea. Underneath it, though, is a faintly familiar floral scent. If he concentrates, it reminds him of going to the botanical garden with Katara and his mom. He swallows a lump in his throat and returns to the task at hand. With a hand at the small of Lee’s back, Sokka shifts him forward. He pulls Lee’s wrists together as gently as he can and winds the chain around them. The muscles of Lee’s back stiffen under him.

“All good?” Sokka confirms. He tugs at Lee’s wrist to confirm that he’s restrained.

“Mhm,” Lee says, so softly that Sokka barely catches it.

“Okay,” Sokka says. He starts unwinding the longer chain from Lee’s body. Most of the wounds on his arms and shoulders are almost healed, but there are a few larger ones that still look dark and raw. When Sokka unsticks the chain from one of them, Lee winces.

“I’m so sorry,” Sokka whispers. “I’m so sorry.” There are red marks on Lee’s upper arms where the chain was trapped between him and the wall. God, Sokka feels like a shitty good guy right now. He rubs his thumb over one of the marks as if it might erase the damage.

“It really,” Lee says, voice hitching as Sokka’s thumb moves, “is fine.” Sokka stops. Did that hurt? He doesn’t want to hurt Lee (any more than he already has). “ _Sokka_ ,” Lee says firmly. “You did the right thing.”

Sokka’s fingers tremble as he pulls the rest of the chains from Lee’s body. “Are you always this nice to people who leave you tied up and wounded?” The joke comes out clumsy and too sincere on his wavering tongue.

Somehow, though, his dumb joke seems to make Lee relax. His body is pliant as Sokka helps him gently onto solid ground, and he gives Sokka a soft smile.

“Hello,” Toph says. “I’m here too. Can we hurry this up and get upstairs so I can maybe be in my own apartment before sunrise? I’m not trying to be stuck here with you four losers until sundown.”

Sokka jumps, just a little. Lee jumps, too. “Right,” Sokka coughs. “Let’s head up to the bathroom.”

Once they’re there (and Sokka vindictively notes Katara averting her eyes as they walk by the table), it’s time for the really awkward part. “I’m, uh, going to take your clothes off now,” Sokka says.

Lee freezes like a deer in the headlights. “Right. Okay.”

Toph, curled by the bathroom door, snickers.

Toph chortling nearby knocks all the sexiness out of stripping Lee. Sokka is both grateful and overcome by hatred.

Well, almost all the sexiness. Lee’s shirt is shredded, anyway, so Sokka just pulls the pieces off. He’s even more muscular than Sokka pictured. Sokka’s mouth feels like the desert. The hand not tossing a scrap of black silk in the garbage goes to his forehead as he groans in frustration.

“Are you okay?” Lee asks seriously.

“Oh yeah!” Sokka says, breathless and a little high-pitched. “Peachy! Just peachy!”

Toph sounds like she’s having a paroxysm of laughter. Sokka pointedly ignores her and takes a deep breath to calm his heart rate.

“Time to take your pants off,” he successfully doesn’t squeak. Lee moves obligingly, lifting his hips as Sokka pulls his black pants down. They’re good-quality pants, Sokka notes idly. Even Ozai’s lackeys are well-dressed. Underneath, his well-built legs are mottled with healing bruises. Lee is relaxed, but he betrays no sign that having Sokka so close and stripping him is having the same effect. Sokka wishes he could read Lee’s body for signals the way Lee can read his.

They agreed Lee would keep his underwear on, but he’s still giving Sokka a full show. Guiltily, Sokka looks over at Toph while Lee sinks in the warm water. Sokka put Katara’s eucalyptus bubble bath in. That’ll show her.

The moan that comes out of Lee’s mouth when he sinks up to his neck should be illegal. God _dammit_ , Sokka needs to get laid. Maybe he should text Haru later, for old times’ sake.

Lee’s voice cuts through Sokka’s inner monologue. “Could you, um, scrub here for me?” He says, pointing to the juncture of his shoulder and neck with his chin. Stubborn traces of blood and grit linger on the skin.

“Sure,” Sokka says. He can be professional. He can totally make up for keeping Lee tied up in a non-creepy and non-sexual way. He scrubs at the skin with a washcloth. When he sees the still-raw wound underneath, he hisses. “Fuck. That looks painful.”

Lee’s eyes are half-lidded. He looks more relaxed than Sokka thought he was capable of being. “It was,” he says, sighing into Sokka’s touch. “She was trying to take my head off. That was when I realized the lieutenant was going to kill me, if I couldn’t run away.”

“She sounds like a scary woman,” Sokka says. He makes sure to lighten the pressure at the edges of the sizzling cut.

“You have no idea,” Lee agrees. Sokka tentatively swipes the washcloth lower, over his chest. Lee leans into his hand. He keeps going.

“How did you make it out?” Sokka asks. He moves the washcloth to Lee’s back, caressing the muscles in large strokes.

Lee’s back tenses. Sokka stops. “I must have just run,” Lee says. “I don’t remember.” He rolls his shoulders and flexes his elbows. “I think I’m clean. Can you help me up?”

Sokka puts a steadying hand on Lee’s arm, and Lee rises out of the bathtub. Looking at Lee, almost-naked and dripping wet, goes straight to Sokka’s dick. _Really not the time_. He gulps and pictures the least sexy things he can imagine. Hama in a bikini. Aang falling down the stairs. Katara yelling at him about tracking vampire blood onto the carpet. It’s helping, as long as he keeps his eyes above Lee’s neck.

Lee’s head tilts toward him. Sokka hopes he’s not imagining the smile on his face. He also hopes that Lee isn’t smiling because he can sense what Lee is doing to him and thinks it’s hilarious. Toph snorts, again, and Sokka thinks _I am going to murder her if I don’t kill myself from embarrassment_.

“Let me get you some clothes, Lee!” Sokka says in his best bro voice. If he can use it on Haru, he can use it on Lee. He makes a tactical retreat to his room, and grabs a pair of old sweatpants (they’ll fit better, he reasons), an old shirt from college, and a pair of socks. _Do vampires need socks?_ He’s never seen Toph wear socks or shoes, but he shouldn’t be basing any general vampire conclusions off her. He pauses for a moment, hovering over his top drawer. Then he grabs a pair of underwear. It’s not fair to ask Lee to hang out in soggy briefs, right?

Neither Katara nor Aang are at the kitchen table when he walks back out, and Sokka swallows the sarcastic comment he had bubbling up. Hopefully, they’re both getting some sleep before Aang heads to work. He walks back into the bathroom. “I’m leaving,” Toph announces as soon as he opens the door.

“Katara’s gonna be so pissed at me if you leave before Lee is back downstairs,” Sokka whines. He imbues as much pout as possible into his tone.

“Yeah, well I’m gonna be so pissed at you if I spend today in your shitty little apartment playing vampire babysitter. And unlike me, Katara’s going to be knocked out until after sunrise, so pick your battles.” Toph raises her hand so Sokka can see the amulet on her finger. “I’m going to spend the day at the Jasmine Dragon, see what intel I can gather about Ozai’s amulets over a nice cup of cold blood. So, bye!” She waves a far-too enthusiastic goodbye before she jumps out the open living room window.

“You invite a vampire into your home _one_ time, and they never use the front door again,” Sokka mutters. He checks his watch: one hour to sunrise. Better close the windows and put the blinds up, just in case.

Lee laughs throatily behind him. Sokka’s heart jumps. He turns around to find that Lee is exactly where Sokka left him: sitting on the toilet. His golden eyes are crinkled with amusement. He looks beautiful.

“I’m going to untie you,” Sokka blurts out.

“That’s—” Lee says. After a pause, he continues, “I don’t want Katara to be upset with you.”

“Eh,” Sokka says with a shrug. “She’d be more mad at Toph for leaving me with you. It’s not like I could overpower you, even with your hands tied.” Lee still looks dubious, so he adds, “I can tie you back up as soon as you’re dressed. I’ll tell Katara that you’re too much of a gentleman to try and kill me when you’re naked.” He winks, for good measure.

“…Alright,” Lee says. Sokka gently unwinds the chain from his wrists. There are no marks this time. As a courtesy, Sokka turns around. When he turns back, Lee is wearing Sokka’s clothes. The shirt hangs on his shoulders. The pants hit right above his ankle. He looks…adorable, a word that Sokka never thought he would use to refer to a vampire. It hurts to bind him again, but Lee stands perfectly still the whole time.

Though he takes Lee back downstairs, Sokka can’t bring himself to chain Lee to the wall again. He’ll let Katara yell at him for that later. Sokka shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. “Is there…anything else you need?”

Lee opens his mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. Finally, he says, “No, thank you, Sokka.”

“There’s a bell that connects to the kitchen,” Sokka says, pointing to the string. “We put it in when we fit the room to be a hangout. Even with your hands tied, you should be able to reach it if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Lee says again, voice huskier than before. His pupils are blown wide, and he’s staring at Sokka’s neck.

“Anytime,” Sokka says fervently. Then he runs up the stairs and closes the door before Lee can notice his erection.

In the bathroom, he takes his hand to his cock and closes his eyes. Lee’s chest and back pulse behind his eyelids, but it’s the seriousness of his face saying _Thank you_ that sends him over the edge. Shivering, he wipes himself down and pulls his pants up before crawling into bed next to Suki and toppling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

He wakes up at 1:30 in an empty bed with three new texts.

The first, from Suki, says _Piandao’s gonna ask you to come in at 3 today._

The second, from Aang, says _The amulet is fully functional. I’m going to give it to Lee._

The third, from Piandao, says _Can you come in at 3?_

He quickly types out an _ugh, thanks_ , to Suki. Piandao gets a _sure thing, boss_. Aang gets a muffled groan as he throws his phone onto the bed. He can consider the ramifications of Ozai having someone who can produce sun amulets after he’s dressed and fed. Thinking about Lee should also wait until then. Unfortunately, pulling on pants and a shirt reminds Sokka of Lee, standing in the bathroom in his clothes. Standing in the bathroom _not_ in his clothes. He lets out a muffled scream into his pillow and decides not to think about Lee for the day.

Easier said than done because when Sokka heads out of his room to eat some breakfast, Lee is sitting at the kitchen counter. Still wearing his clothes. Decidedly _not_ tied up. Sokka’s first response is a pulse of fear, followed by intense, blood-curdling embarrassment at his lingering doubts. Both of those emotions lock his legs in place and keep him staring at Lee.

Lee looks at him, eyes wide. “Sorry,” he says. “Did you just wake up? I didn’t mean to scare you.” Then he adds, “Are you okay? It sounded like you were screaming.”

Sokka processes that Katara is behind the kitchen counter right before she starts talking. Faintly, he wonders if he might still be dreaming.

“He sometimes does that when he has work in the evening,” Katara says to Lee. There’s a teasing lilt in her voice. She looks up at Sokka. “Do you want an omelet? I just scrambled some eggs.”

“I—you—he—yes,” Sokka says defeatedly. Food trumps everything, even an explanation for what might be the _most_ bizarre thing that he’s seen since Lee came into their lives yesterday. _Fuck, was it really only yesterday?_ It feels like much longer. He sits in the stool next to Lee and tries again. “How long have you been up here?” He asks. _And unchained. And apparently cool with my sister?_

Katara answers. “He came up at eight. Aang wanted to give him the amulet before he went to the shelter.”

“And, uh,” Sokka gestures to Lee, “When did this buddy-buddy no chains thing happen, and why couldn’t it have happened last night?” Seeing Lee dripping wet and bound was good for his fantasies, but Katara doesn’t need to know that. It was still a shitty thing to do.

Katara sighs. “The three of us talked,” she admits. “About the amulet…and other stuff. And, you were right. Lee gave us no reason to mistrust him. He almost died trying to get to us. I should have understood after he told us Ozai’s plans that he wasn’t a threat.”

Lee finally pipes up. “You weren’t wrong,” he says to Katara. “It’s good to be mistrustful. I’m glad that I could earn your trust.”

She flashes him a smile. “Still, I hope I can make it up to you.”

“You already have,” Lee says seriously. Katara’s already by the stove, making the omelets, but she turns around to give him another smile.

Sokka can’t help his own smile. “Good,” he says, to Lee, Katara, and himself. “That’s…good.” His chest feels much lighter.

“Oh, is it good?” Katara teases, passing him a plate.

He pops a bite in his mouth. “Delicious,” he practically moans. He hasn’t eaten for eighteen hours—practically a lifetime! And he’s leading a class today: he needs to be well-fed.

Lee stiffens next to him for a moment. By the time Katara brings her plate to the counter, he’s relaxed, and Sokka’s not sure if he imagined it. “You have work at four, right?” She asks Sokka.

“Three,” he sighs. “I’m sure Piandao just realized that he overfilled one of the beginner judo classes. As long as I’m getting paid.”

“You teach judo?” Lee asks.

Sokka nods, cheeks bulging. After a stern look from Katara, he makes sure to swallow before he answers. “And jiujitsu. And karate. And sword fighting. And sometimes I just clean. Suki and I both work there. We kinda just do whatever Piandao asks. It’s his gym.”

“Piandao’s a slayer, just like us,” Katara says. “It helps to have access to training and weapons.”

Sokka nods again. “Piandao taught me how to fight.” He winks at Lee. “Not to brag, but I’m pretty good. I might even be able to take you.”

Lee smiles slightly. “Maybe,” he says. “Maybe not. I know my way around a sword, too.”

“What!” Sokka says. “No fair! Why does a fast, powerful, immortal vampire need to know how to sword fight?” He leans into Lee. “Maybe we can spar,” he says conspiratorially.

“We should,” Lee says.

“But not tonight,” Katara says. “Teo dropped off the flash bomb prototypes. I was thinking the two of you could go out and test them. There’s a den on Lotus Place, and they’ve been terrorizing university students.”

“He _did_?” Sokka asks, face lighting up. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He follows her pointing finger to the nondescript brown bag and unzips it. When he sees the small, round, bombs nestled in the padding, his face beams with pride.

He hears Lee walk behind him. “What are those?” He asks curiously.

Sokka’s tongue trips over itself explaining how, when they were fighting vampires and Katara scattered them with a match, he started envisioning a machine that could create light and noise to throw them off-guard, “because vampires hate the sun, right? So if they see a flash of light, they scatter and go on the defensive, and it makes them nervous,” he babbles. “I designed it, and Teo’s dad—we call him the Mechanist, he owns an auto shop—made me a prototype, and now we can test these babies out!” He thrusts one into Lee’s hands. Lee blinks and holds it to his face.

“You designed this?” He says. “That’s…that’s impressive, Sokka.” Lee smiles at him. “Wow!”

Lee’s smile, soft and unguarded, does something to Sokka’s heart. The tips of his ears flush a dark rose. “Yeah, I did. I actually studied engineering in college,” Sokka says, “so this is a good way to use my degree.”

Lee turns the flash bomb in his hands, examining it carefully. “So, how does it work?” He asks.

Sokka leans over and puts his hand over Lee’s, guiding him to the small silver pin. “You pull this out and then throw it,” Sokka says. “There’s a five or so second time lapse between pulling the pin and detonation, like a grenade. Or there should be. We’ll find out tonight,” he chuckles. “Your first patrol!”

“Really?” Lee says uncertainly to him and Katara. Belatedly, Sokka realizes that his hands are still on Lee’s. He doesn’t pull away. In fact, he leans in.

“Of course,” Sokka says seriously. This close, he could count all the eyelashes on Lee’s unscarred eye. “You’re one of us now, Lee! That means no skipping patrol duty!”

Lee swallows. He looks down at their hands and doesn’t move away. “Of course,” he repeats. “When and where will we meet?”

Sokka regretfully pulls back his hands to check the time on his phone. “I’ll get off around eleven, and I’ll come back here first to grab the stuff, and we’ll head out. Sounds good?” He asks, with his most killer smile.

Lee is looking down at his hands, but his gaze snaps back up to meet Sokka’s. “Sounds good,” he says.

“Awesome,” Sokka says, heart fluttering. “And let’s see if we have an old phone or something, it makes it more convenient to contact you.”

His own phone buzzes. It’s Suki. _Actually, could you come in at 2:30? There’s a fucking private class. All snotty rich kids. I might kill myself._

Before he heads out the door, they do find an old phone that Toph left in the basement. Sokka heads to work with a new number in his contacts and a spring in his step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hit me up on zukosbian as usual and let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	4. The Vampire on Patrol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back! some plot! i rewrote the last scene twice and i'm still not super happy w it but here you go!

_Do you think Piandao would give me hazard pay for this?_ Sokka texts Suki, attaching a photo of the stuffing all over the floor.

_No_ , comes the instant reply. Then, _that bad huh?_

_I’ve been sweeping this shit up for two hours_ , Sokka replies. Out loud, he groans. He types out another message: _We should make rich guys who want private lessons fill out a form that asks if they have anger issues and a raging inferiority-superiority complex._

_LOL_ , she responds. _But those are the guys that we can force to pay extra for destruction of property._

He snorts. That’s true. He checks his phone; at least it’s only 10PM. He still has an hour before he’s running late for patrol.

His phone buzzes again. _I heard that the flash bombs came and it’s Lee’s first patrol. Big day for you :p_

His cheeks burn. _Shut up_ , he texts. Then: _yeah, it is. Do you think it’s too soon?_

His phone buzzes right away. _For the bombs or for Lee? Either way, no. I trust you, Sokka. We all do._

_Are you trying to get me to fall in love with you again? TT mean_ , he replies. His chest is warm. _Thanks, Suki._

_Unfortunately for you, I’m having a Great time with the Kyoshi Warriors ;) Have a great vampire-busting date Sokka! You’ve earned it._

He splutters and Piandao, who’s stuck his head in, raises an eyebrow. “You alright there, Sokka?” He asks. “Should I send someone in to help?”

“N-no, it’s fine,” Sokka stammers. Before he goes back to sweeping, he sends one more text. _It’s not a date!_

His phone buzzes. _Yeah yeah whatever. That’s what you said about our first date too._

_FU_ , he texts back. Then he shoots a text to the new number in his phone: _Still on tn right?_

_Of course,_ Lee replies in a matter of seconds.

With a pleased warmth in his stomach, Sokka turns his phone on silent and goes back to sweeping.

***

“What the fuck,” Sokka says, wheezing with laughter, “what the fuck are you wearing on your face?”

Maybe Lee is frowning, but Sokka can’t tell. The giant blue demon mask is frozen in a smile like it’s laughing along. “It’s a disguise!” Lee says. When he lifts the mask up, Sokka can see that he’s pouting. It’s _adorable_. “I think the lieutenant thinks she killed me,” Lee says. “That gives me more freedom of movement, but only as long as I stay dead to her. If it comes out that I was breaking up a vampire den, I’ll need to go into hiding, and they might change their plans.”

“That makes sense,” Sokka says. “But how would the other vampires know that she was trying to kill you?”

Lee’s pout turns into a scowl. “The lieutenant doesn’t accept anything less than perfection,” he says. “If she knew I was alive she’d stop at nothing to bring me down.”

“Damn, that’s a lot for a lackey!” Sokka says.

Lee shivers. “Let’s talk about something else,” he says curtly. “Where are we going again?” He pulls the mask back over his face.

“Katara should have texted you, too,” Sokka says, but he pulls it up on his phone. “There’s a vampire den in the abandoned movie theater on Lotus place. Students have been disappearing. Some turn up again, some don’t. The papers are saying it’s a serial kidnapper.”

Lee nods. Sokka wishes he could see his face. “Do we have any idea how many there are?” He asks.

The “we” makes Sokka’s toes curl with joy. “A ballpark,” he says, with a touch of glee in his voice. “Three to five. Between you, me, and the flash bombs, it should be a walk in the park.”

“If the park had vampires in it,” Lee says drily.

“Well, the park _does_ have vampires in it, but, yes—Hey, was that a joke?” Sokka grins at him. “My good influence must be rubbing off!”

Lee’s hand rubs the back of his neck. “It must be something like that,” he says.

“Come on,” Sokka says with a laugh. “You can stroke my ego. It won’t hurt my fighting, I swear.”

Lee shakes his head mildly. “Fine,” he says, and his voice is dripping with amusement. “You have shown me the ways of human humor. I don’t know what I would do without you, Sifu Sokka.”

“Now come on,” Sokka says. His face feels like it’s splitting from smiling. “I didn’t teach you to lay it on _that_ thick.” He practically skips over to the flash bombs and starts sticking some in his cargo pockets. “Do you have pockets in those?” He asks, pointing to the pants of Lee’s new, all-black outfit.

“Yep,” Lee says. He starts pulling things out. “I have three stakes, a box of matches, a little can of kerosene, and I have room for at least two flash bombs.”

Sokka whistles. Lee’s pants looked way too tight to fit all that—not that Sokka is complaining. “Impressive, Lee,” he says, tossing him a flash bomb. “Here’s your flash bomb allotment.”

The flash bomb disappears in a fold of Lee’s jacket. “Any last words of encouragement before we head out, _sifu_?” His voice drops on the last word.

Sokka’s throat is suddenly dry. He swallows. “Um, never go in without backup,” Sokka says. “Start with a distraction; we'll set off a flash bomb. Put them on the defensive, then go all out. Katara will never forgive me if I get you injured on your first patrol.”

“We’ll be fine,” Lee says, patting his arm. “Five vampires are no match for the two of us.”

Sokka smiles. “That’s the slayer spirit, Lee!”

***

The patrol starts amazing. They break in via a crumbling basement door with no problem. The first flash bomb—a distraction—goes off with no problem. Sokka effortlessly stakes the two newborn vampires who come to check it while Lee heads down the hall into the main den. _Easy, peasy_. _Three to go, max_. Then he hears Lee yelp, and his vision flashes horrible and red.

He books it down the hall, sidestepping the splintered floorboards and broken glass that are apparently prerequisites for a proper vampire hangout. When he slams his way through the massive maintenance door, he thinks _oh shit_.

There are way more than five vampires. Obviously, not all the disappearing university students have been consigned to shallow graves. There are five circling Lee like raptors, and Sokka counts at least two separate ash piles on the grimy linoleum floor.

Lee is holding a stake in each hand, wielding them like dual swords. He keeps his distance, but lashes out when one of the vampires gets too close. While Sokka is still in the doorway, Lee spins deftly under the arm of a boy with an eyepatch and thrusts. _Four_. Sokka runs in and jams a stake into a girl with braids. _Three_.

Lee turns toward him for a moment. Sokka can’t see his face under the mask, but he allows himself a second to wonder what it looks like. Is he concerned? Relieved? Determined? Then a boy with a shaved head sees him and hisses, and Sokka has more important things to think about.

The bald boy has the one-track mind of a newborn vampire. He lunges straight at Sokka’s neck, and Sokka drives his stake into the boy’s heart. With a howl, he turns to dust. _Two_. Sokka lets himself smile. These odds are more his speed.

Then someone grabs his arm. Sokka gets a glimpse of green and gold gloves before he gets thrown into the wall. Which is bizarre, because Sokka could have _sworn_ that the other two vampires were coming at Lee, all claws and teeth and bloodlust. The air whistles by his face, and he hears the crash like it happened to someone else. The drywall buckles against him, then collapses. Sokka tries to get up, but a piercing pain shoots up his left arm and he collapses to the floor.

“So—Snoozles!” He hears Lee yell, but his voice is faint and far away.

_Is he using a code name?_ Sokka thinks hysterically. The laugh he lets out is high-pitched and hurts his ribs. At the blurry edges of his vision, he sees something on the floor. Lee is throwing a flash bomb at it. Someone dashes out the door. Sokka opens his mouth to yell.

Then the room goes up in flames, and Sokka blacks out. The last sensation he remembers is a pair of cold hands throwing him over their shoulder.

***

Sokka wakes up in his own bed with a gasp. His arm is wrapped tight, but it’s not in a cast. He wiggles the fingers of his left hand experimentally. They move, and Sokka exhales. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he broke a bone so close to the eclipse. Still hurts like a bitch, though.

The door flies open, and Katara storms in. Her lips are pressed in a tight line. “Toph said you had woken up,” she says curtly.

So he’s in the doghouse. Sokka grimaces. “Sure am!” He says, with as much fake cheer as he can muster. He gives her a thumbs-up from his left hand, then winces.

“Yeah, going into drywall will do that,” Katara says. “You’re lucky your arm isn’t _broken_. You’re lucky you didn’t _die_.” She plops herself on the folding chair next to his bed. Her eyes glimmer with tears. “Sokka, taking on ten vampires when we thought there were five? You know better than that.”

Realization hits Sokka like a bolt of lightning (or drywall). “Eleven,” he says. “What time is it? How’s Lee?”

Katara’s mouth opens in a perfect _O_. “Is that supposed to make me feel _better_?” She yells. “Oh, _eleven_ instead of ten, great!” She pauses, chest rising and falling rapidly. “It’s five in the morning. Lee is fine,” she says belatedly. “He threw the flash bomb on the kerosene. Then he carried you back. He’s in the basement with Aang and Teo.” She scowls. “I’ll let them know you’re awake when I’m done with you.”

“No, there,” Sokka pulls himself into a seated position. Katara reaches out and adjusts him, fluffing the pillows behind his head. The scowl remains fixed on her face as she starts re-wrapping his arm. “Thanks,” he says, reaching and grabbing her with his left hand. “Katara, I’m sorry. I know, we should have regrouped, but I _swear_ we had it under control. Lee and I were about to take the last two out.”

Katara raises an eyebrow, but she squeezes his hand before she resumes her ministrations. “But?” She asks doubtfully.

“But,” Sokka says, gears spinning. “Another vampire came in. When I got thrown from behind, the last two were fighting Lee. I didn’t hear the doors open. I could have been distracted, or they slipped in carefully. Someone who had definitely been there before. And someone fast, and smart—” He pauses and frowns. “Lee said there were only ten?”

Katara nods, frowning. “He said that when he ran out, the other two vampires were already on fire.”

It’s Sokka’s turn to frown. “Okay, so that’s who I saw getting out. What, so they came in, threw me, and left? That doesn’t make any sense,” he mutters.

“Do you have any idea what they looked like?” Katara asks.

“No,” he says. He frowns. He feels like he's missing something. Katara finishes wrapping his arm. The silence hangs in the air between them. It’s stifling. He swallows and winces at the dryness in his throat. She hands him a cup of water, and he sips. Once he’s swallowed, he says “What’s the damage, doctor?”

“Not a doctor,” Katara says immediately.

“ _Nurse_ Katara,” he says, sickly sweet. “Maybe a doctor someday,” he says.

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, right. That’s way too much time…and money.” She grins and taps his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I get all the practice and satisfaction I need at the walk-in clinic and patching you up.” The smile fades. “You have a sprained wrist and you needed four stitches on your left calf. Besides that and the bruises, you’re _peachy_. The nurse recommends at least three days of bed rest, easy on the wrist for at least a week, and no more _flying into walls_.” Satisfied, she offers him the painkillers and congee on the tray next to his bed. He gulps them both down.

“Thanks,” he says. “What are you doing now?”

“I’m going to get Lee,” she says. “He was frantic when he brought you in, all covered in blood.” Something inscrutable flashes in her eyes.

“Can he come in here? The sun will be rising soon,” Sokka says regretfully, because as much as he wants to see Lee, he can’t risk hurting him.

“Toph and I put up the blackout curtains,” Katara says. Sokka does a double-take and twists his head to see the windows. “He’s a member of Team Avatar now,” Katara says. “Of _course,_ I’m going to make sure it’s safe for him— and welcoming.” She leans over and pats his head. “Okay, I’m leaving now. Be good and don’t bust a stitch pining!”

He scowls at her back but says nothing. He’s earned at least one snide comment. He knew better than to run in blind, after all. But knowing and doing are two different things, and when he heard Lee, he had to find out what was wrong. He _had_ to help.

Sokka groans out loud. He’s down _bad_.

***

The knock is tentative and soft. Sokka hears it right away.

“Come in,” he calls. He cards his fingers through his hair. With his right hand, even gathering what feels like a tangled bird mess behind his neck is difficult.

Lee opens the door slowly. He lingers in the doorway, eyes flickering between Sokka and the folding chair. He takes a step in, then stops.

“Sit down,” Sokka says. He waves his left hand instinctually, then winces.

His eyes only register a blur when Lee comes to sit. “How are you feeling?” Lee asks, brows furrowed. He’s looking at Sokka’s arm.

“Pretty dumb,” Sokka admits. He frowns. “And confused?”

“What—Katara said your head was fine,” Lee says urgently. His hands flutter toward Sokka’s head, then close and drift down to his sides. His entire body is tense.

“I—yeah, it is?” Sokka says. “I’m confused about the person who threw me.”

Lee’s shoulders unclench. “Oh,” he says. “Good. I mean, not good that someone threw you through a wall. Good that, uh—” Sokka thinks that if vampires blushed, Lee would be bright red.

“I didn’t get brain damage from it?” Sokka finishes. He snorts. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“Well, yeah,” Lee says. He frowns. “You’re not dumb. Your strategy was great. We were outnumbered.”

“It would have been greater if I had actually _followed_ it,” Sokka mumbles. Louder, he says, “For future reference, if you’re outnumbered by more than three to one, retreat and regroup.”

“We were doing a great job,” Lee says.

“Were,” Sokka says. “Until the last one showed up.”

Lee sighs. “Katara told me there was someone else. I’m sorry that I didn’t notice them.”

“Wh—” Sokka sputters. “Don’t worry about that!” Lee’s face is still downcast and guilty, so Sokka keeps going. “Lee, you were a little distracted fighting _two_ vampires.” _And I was distracted worrying about you_ , he thinks. Lee doesn’t need to know that.

Lee shakes his head. “I just, I—” His fists clench and twist on his lap.

Sokka interrupts him by putting his uninjured hand over Lee’s. Lee stops talking and stares—not at Sokka’s hands, but his face. His hands relax under Sokka’s. His lips part. Encouraged, Sokka leans forward. Lee mirrors him, his face drawn toward Sokka. Lee’s hands flip around and cage his. Sokka tilts his head, closes his eyes, and tries not think about how bad he must smell. Instead, he focuses on the feeling of Lee’s hands. They’re soft, but cold. Lee’s hands squeeze around him and it makes him think of—

_Green and gold gloves. Being thrown through drywall_. Sokka’s eyes fly open. His heartbeat suddenly feels like a drum. Lee freezes. His face is an inch from Sokka’s.

Whip-fast, Lee pulls back. He averts his gaze down. “I’m sorry,” he says, so soft and polite that Sokka’s overexerted heart drops.

“You didn’t—” Sokka stammers out, eyes wide and mind racing. Still, he has to rescue this fragile moment. Or try. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he says. He reaches for Lee’s hand again. “It’s not you,” he says.

Lee raises his eyebrow dubiously. “It’s not me,” he repeats. Still, he doesn’t move away from Sokka’s hand.

“It’s,” Sokka begins. He inhales. “I think I just remembered something,” he sighs. “About the vampire that threw me. They had…green and gold gloves.” He hastens to add, “So see! Nothing to do with you!”

Lee’s grip tightens, until it’s just on the edge of painful. Sokka doesn’t whimper or move. “Do you remember anything else about what they looked like? Or the gloves?” he asks. His voice doesn’t sound dubious: it sounds wary.

“No,” Sokka says, shaking his head. He adds a little laugh to lighten the mood. A storm cloud has gathered over Lee’s face. “I mean, it was probably nothing! But it’s more than we had before, so…Sorry,” he says again. _I didn’t mean to kill the mood_.

“No,” Lee says, shaking his head. One of his hands moves to his face. He pinches his brow. “I also thought I sensed…but I thought I was imagining things…or being paranoid. It might still be nothing, but…” When he looks at Sokka, he looks serious. “Sokka,” he says.

Sokka kind of wishes he’d finished the kiss while he got the chance. Lee’s face looks all business. “What?” He asks.

“We might have a problem.”

“What _kind_ of problem?” Sokka asks. He tries to keep his voice level.

Lee leans back. His eyes are distant. “The Dai Li,” he says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu @zukosbian on tumblr! there will probably be a longer break btwn this and the next chapter since i gotta start.....thinking about plot more seriously instead of churning out 2k words of gaang interactions in an hour.


	5. The Vampire in the Tea Shop

“Explain again,” Katara says. She points to Aang, who’s standing in the doorway and blinking rapidly. “For Aang.”

He breaks into a grin. “Hey guys!” He exclaims. He wedges Haru and Toph over and squeezes himself on the couch next to Katara. “If I’d known we were having a party, I would have tried to get off early!”

“It’s not a party,” Toph and Lee say unanimously. They’re both scowling.

“O…kay,” Aang says, eyes flicking from one of them to the other. “I guess I should have guessed from the no food and drinks,” he says with a sigh. “What’s wrong? Hey, Sokka! You’re looking way better!”

Sokka manages a halfhearted smile from the beanbag chair he’s sharing with Suki. With eight of them, the tiny living room is bursting at the seams. He’s already had to adjust twice to keep Teo’s chair from running over his feet.

“He _was_ unconscious last time you saw him,” Suki points out.

Sokka wishes he was unconscious now. His leg and arm both throb with pain, and Lee hasn’t touched him since they were in his room. He’s barely even looked at him. Instead, Lee spent the whole day muttering with Toph. “I’m feeling better,” he says, when Aang’s gaze stays fixed on him.

“We think that the Dai Li are working for the Sozin Clan now,” Toph says blankly. “One of their agents threw Sokka into the wall.”

“The who?” Aang asks.

It’s Katara who answers. “They’re vampire mercenaries. They guard—clan heads, and goods, and they do espionage and assassination too.”

“Kind of weird that we’ve never heard of them before,” Aang says.

“You’ve never heard of them because they’ve spent the past two hundred years in service to the Kuei clan, in Ba Sing Se,” Toph says. “Sometimes my parents would hire a couple of them for the really important shipments, but they were expensive.” Sokka watches Lee’s eyebrow raise when Toph says _my parents_ , but he says nothing.

“So why are they here? When did they get here?” Aang asks.

“I assume if we knew that, we could solve a lot of our problems,” Teo says mildly.

“I don’t understand,” Lee mutters. “I didn’t hear anything about this.”

“Is that really that weird?” Suki asks. Her mouth twists in confusion.

“Yeah, I’d hardly expect Ozai and his lieutenant to be confessing their evil villain plans to every random foot soldier,” Sokka says. “That’s not how you become top dog.”

Lee barely spares him a glance when he speaks. His gold eyes are flecked with irritation. “The Dai Li coming here is a big deal,” he says, drawing out the last two words. He’s looking at Aang when he speaks, but Sokka feels targeted. He scowls. Lee continues, “It just makes no _sense_. The last time the Dai Li switched alliances was in the middle of the Ba Sing Se clan wars. They haven’t left Ba Sing Se in five hundred years.”

“Ozai must have offered them something,” Toph says. “Something big. And bad.”

“I think that ‘bad’ part went without saying,” Katara says. When Lee looks at her, she presses her lips together.

“I honestly,” Lee says, with one of those very distracting sighs he doesn’t need, “don’t think it was Ozai.”

“You think it was the lieutenant?” Sokka asks. Now Lee turns his whole body around so he’s facing Sokka. His eyes are surprised. “What?” Sokka asks. His pride and his body are aching from the day, and Lee is barely even looking at him. “You said she was a scary lady. Maybe she has her own agenda.”

Lee shakes his head. “I think you’re right,” he says. “I think it was the lieutenant. And you’re wrong about Ozai. He would have bragged about something like that. It _is_ impressive,” he says in a grudging tone of voice. “She wouldn’t, though—not until the whole plan was done. But she’s fully loyal to Ozai. I don’t think she’s planning on—”

“I didn’t mean backstabbing him,” Sokka says quickly. “I just meant—maybe she has her own projects. Or maybe she decided that the Dai Li would be a _great_ way to consolidate Ozai’s hold on the city.”

“They would be,” Toph says. “Besides being great soldiers, they’re known for exceptional brainwashing skill.” Aang shudders.

For the first time that night, Haru divests himself from the noodles he’s been slurping. “Neither of you can do mind control, right?” He asks Toph and Zuko.

“Of course I can!” Toph says scornfully. “But that’s lame! And cowardly! If I want something from someone, I can just beat it out of them.”

“What about you, uh, Lee?” Haru asks. Then he grins. “I’m Haru, by the way. Don’t think I got a chance to introduce myself earlier! Welcome to the team.”

Lee looks vaguely like he’s eaten something bad. His nose twitches. “I can,” he says, after a long pause. “But I haven’t used it very often.”

“Huh,” Haru says thoughtfully. “At least you’re both powerful vampires. That makes me feel a little better about all this.”

Katara groans. “It does _not_ make me feel better to know that one of Ozai’s low-level clansmen can use mind control. No offense, Lee,” she adds. 

“They can’t,” Lee says.

“You just said that you could,” Sokka points out.

“Ugh. Most of them can’t,” Lee says. “Anyway, have any of you heard any rumors or whispers about a new band of vampires in the city?”

“With green and gold gloves? They wear those,” Sokka says. He wilts under Katara’s withering stare. “What?” He protests weakly. “It could be an important detail!”

“No,” Haru says.

“Nothing,” Teo affirms.

“I’ll ask the other Kyoshi Warriors, but no one’s mentioned anything out of the ordinary,” Suki says. “Although…”

“What?” Toph asks. Her head swivels toward Suki and Sokka. Her face is knitted into a frown. With a jolt, Sokka realizes that he hasn’t seen her look so strained for three years.

“Well, no sign of green and gold gloves,” Suki says. “But the vampire dens we’ve been busting on Lai Circle for the past week or so have been much…better organized than usual.” Her lips purse. “Even the newborns have some focus. They fight to kill, not to feed.”

Lai Circle is in undisputed Sozin territory. Sokka frowns. _It could be nothing_.

“It could be nothing,” Aang says.

“Or it could mean that the Sozins are using the Dai Li to build trained forces quickly,” Sokka says, finishing his thought out loud.

“There’s too many variables,” Lee says, frowning.

“We need more information,” Suki agrees. “And we need to know what information is useful.”

“And we need it _fast_ ,” Haru says. “Teo’s dad checked the almanac. The new moon is at the end of next week.”

“If information’s what we need, I have an idea,” Toph says. “And I know that no one here is gonna like it.”

“I don’t like most of your ideas,” Katara says, crossing her arms. “What is it?”

“I think we should meet with Mushi. All the vampire gossip in this city ends up at the Jasmine Dragon, eventually. Including the stuff clans like to stay hidden.”

Aang puts his hand to his chin. “That’s not such a bad id—”

“No!” Lee snarls. “Absolutely not.”

***

Sokka lets out a low whistle. “This is a pretty nice room.” The studio has a futon, a couch, and a table with two chairs. Sokka supposes that a vampire doesn’t need a bed anyway, and it does make everything look more spacious.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Toph says with a shrug. She effortlessly kicks the couch out of the way as she heads to the cooler in her kitchen. It hits the wall with a _thud_. Sokka’s mouth twists into a grimace.

“It might be nicer if you didn’t kick furniture into the wall every time it gets in your way,” he offers. His eyes drift over the scuff marks and dents on the wall.

“I can’t see it anyway,” Toph says, yanking out a pouch of blood and ripping it open with her teeth. “I told Mushi that if it’s too ugly, he can dock the cost from my pay.” She hurls a second pouch at Lee. “Here Lee. A little something to take the edge off.” She cackles.

It bounces off his head and lands between him and Sokka on the futon. Sokka gently pushes it over. Lee opens it gingerly. He’s sitting ramrod straight, not looking at either of them.

“I still don’t understand why I needed to come here,” Lee says through gritted teeth.

“Uh, that makes two of us,” Sokka says. He adjusts his arm in the sling. It’s a heavy, useless weight against his chest, and he fights the urge to run out the hallway and never come back. Mostly because the only two ways out are the third-floor window or the hallway over the vampire café.

“You’re the only two bastards who didn’t have a job to go to right now,” Toph says, crouching on her counter like a little gremlin. Her sun amulet sparkles under the fluorescents. “Easy.”

“Yeah, because I’m on medical leave. Because I’m _injured_ ,” Sokka grumbles. He lifts his arm for good measure.

“I didn’t know you worked for the Jasmine Dragon,” Lee says to Toph.

“We didn’t either,” Sokka says. He shoots her a meaningful glance, then sighs. “We thought she was just slumming it down here every day.”

“Of course not!” Toph mock gasps. The hand not holding a crumpled blood pouch flies to her chest. “When Mushi comes, he’ll tell you that I’m the best bouncer he’s ever had.”

Lee’s face finally arranges into an expression beyond irritation. His lips twitch. “I don’t doubt that,” he says.

Sokka scowls and slides his back down the wall. “Where is this guy, anyway? I thought his café would be closed by now.”

“He said he’d be here at 7:30. The Jasmine Dragon doesn’t close until 7AM, Sokka! It’s for _vampires_.” She grins. “Is that why your heart’s hammering like a rabbit? You’re worried about all the vampires downstairs?” She throws her empty blood pouch in his direction, and it hits the wall above the foot of the futon. “Here, Snoozles! You can use this as bait to keep you safe.”

Sokka closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is exactly the situation that Katara’s breathing exercises are for. _In and out_. _In and out_. _You’re safe_.

He practically jumps out of his skin when Lee places a hand on his shoulder. His leg throbs, and Sokka’s nervous system has to satisfy itself with a squeak. Lee swipes his thumb over Sokka’s shoulder.

“I promise you’re fine,” Lee says gently. “Mushi would never allow a human to be harmed in his building.”

Sokka vaguely remembers Mushi. He closes his eyes and tries to recall what happened when Toph took him to the Jasmine Dragon right after she joined. A lot has happened in the past three years. _He’s old. He likes to drink tea, even though he’s a vampire. He plays Pai Sho. He’s got… golden eyes. Sozin eyes_. He opens his eyes and turns his head to face Lee. “Isn’t Mushi the one who gave you the code phrase for our apartment?”

Lee pulls his hand away. “He is,” he responds curtly.

“How do you—” Sokka begins before there’s a knock on the door.

Lee shrinks. Toph grins. “Come in, Mushi!” She yells.

An old man ( _vampire, you have no idea_ , Sokka reminds himself) enters the studio apartment. In one hand, he balances a tray. The tray has a teapot, four cups, and a plate of cookies. Seeing the food almost warms Sokka toward the guy.

Even with the tray, he bows. “It is a pleasure to welcome Toph’s honored guests.” He looks over all of them with a smile. His eyes linger over Lee. “I am glad you are all doing well,” he says. “Toph told me about the unfortunate conclusion to your patrol three days ago.”

“Yeah, I never would have gotten out of there if it weren’t for Lee,” Sokka blurts out. Toph snorts. He pointedly doesn’t look at her or Lee, though he can see Lee’s face in his peripheral.

Lee opens his mouth, then closes it, then opens it. “I never would have gotten _in_ there if it weren’t for Sokka,” he says finally. He seems to be fixated on a dust bunny on the floor. Suddenly irritated, Sokka kicks it away.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Sokka mumbles. His ears redden.

“I won’t if you won’t,” Lee scowls, and—oh? _Leave it to Lee to make a compliment sound like an argument_. He seems incredibly tense. Sokka wonders if being above the Jasmine Dragon is freaking out Lee like it’s freaking out Sokka.

Mushi smiles. “I am sure that the two of you make an excellent team,” he assures while he pours the tea into cups. He places Toph’s cup next to her and moves the table so that he can put Lee and Sokka’s cups in front of them on the futon. Lee is staring at Mushi with his lips parted, but he doesn’t seem on edge, so Sokka lets himself relax.

Well, relax a little bit. He waits for Lee to lift his cup to his lips before he does the same. Still, he gives it a sniff before he drinks it. He’s not really one for tea, but it smells inoffensively like jasmine. Sokka decides to risk it. “It’s good!” He says. The words come out before he can stop them.

“Of course it’s good,” Toph says. “It’s his job. Vampires like a nice hot beverage too, you know!”

“Why would I know that?” Sokka points out.

“It reminds us of blood,” she says with a grin. Sokka is suddenly extremely conscious of the blood in his body. He decides he’s not going to talk to her for the rest of the meeting.

“Thank you,” Mushi says. He smiles at Sokka. After a moment, Sokka smiles back.

They sit in silence for a while. Mushi refills the tea for all of them and passes the cookies to Sokka. They’re delicious. Sokka wolfs them down.

Eventually, the peace has to break. Mushi gently sets his mug down. “What is it you are looking for information on?” He asks the air.

Toph leans forward. Her face is suddenly serious. “The Dai Li are here. They’re working for the Sozin clan.”

Mushi nods. “That is not a question,” he says mildly.

“Why?” Sokka blurts out. “How—why?”

Mushi sighs. It reminds Sokka so endearingly of Lee’s little sighs that he has to lean over and whisper his observation. Lee glares at him. _What is_ up _with him?_

“It is not just that the Dai Li have switched allegiances,” Mushi says sadly. “As of two days ago, Ba Sing Se is now under Sozin clan control. It was a bloodless switch,” he adds after a moment. “The Kuei clan is now in exile.”

Sokka’s jaw is on the floor. So is Toph’s. Lee is stone-faced. “After five hundred years…how?” She asks.

Mushi shakes his head. “That, I cannot answer. I have heard rumors that it was the lieutenant’s doing. I believe that the Dai Li allegiances were swayed long before. I have heard, also, that she intends for them to serve as the major offensive force on the eclipse, as well as guards for—” he hesitates and looks at Toph.

“The Beifong shipment,” Toph says curtly. “So they’re definitely guarding that next week?”

“I mean, it makes sense,” Sokka mumbles. He really doesn’t want to think about facing a highly trained mercenary force, though.

Lee’s head knocks against the wall as he groans. “Great. The lieutenant is always one step ahead of us.”

“She thinks you’re dead,” Sokka points out. “So we’re kind of one step ahead of her on that.” He looks over at Mushi. “We’re not…putting you in danger by coming here, are we?” His stomach squirms uncomfortably. He tries to tamp it down.

“The Jasmine Dragon is a neutral space, welcome to humans and vampires of all clans.” Mushi says placidly. “It is also a tea shop. Gossip is inevitable.” He rises to refill Sokka’s cup. “Fighting is against the rules.”

Toph’s bared teeth glint. Sokka turns his attention back to Mushi. “Do you have any other information about the Dai Li or the shipment?”

Mushi puts a finger to his chin. “Not much, but if I may make some guesses, I think it is reasonable to assume that the entire force has not yet arrived,” he says. “Very few of my patrons were aware of the Dai Li’s presence—and I have many customers who must stay on guard at all times. Those who are told me that they have been focused on Sozin dens on Lai Circle and Ximen block. More will arrive with the shipment, I am sure. Other than that, I do not know.”

“Any ideas where the shipment will be?” Sokka asks.

“Shipments from Gaoling usually come through the East gate,” Lee mutters. He’s staring at Mushi. “There’s a tunnel that starts about half a mile away, in the forest. The entrance has a ramp, so it’s the best place to transport large shipments.”

Sokka grimaces. He hasn’t been in the tunnels in a long time, but he’s unfortunately familiar with Gaoling shipments. “We can enter the tunnels through an abandoned brothel,” he says reluctantly. “We set up barriers there in case—in case we needed to go in there again.” He falters looking at Toph’s face. He remembers the last time they entered the tunnels _very_ clearly.

“It’ll be dangerous for a human in the tunnels,” Lee says. He finally tears his gaze away from Mushi and looks Sokka up and down.

“We’ll need an airtight plan, then,” Sokka says. “I can do that. I’ve been in the tunnels before,” he adds. He doesn’t mention that his last excursion ended with Toph attacking her own father and Aang breaking his leg.

He’s really only talking to Lee. Mushi has been looking at Lee the entire time, and Toph started running her nails over the kitchen counter once the Beifongs were mentioned.

“I believe in you,” Lee says. “I just…don’t want you getting hurt.” His hand reaches out, then curls back against his side.

“It’s a little late for that,” Sokka jokes. Lee stares at his arm, guilt-stricken, so Sokka continues, “I meant, I’ve been fighting vampires in Team Avatar for years. I can’t stop _now_.”

Mushi pauses, and his eyes flicker away from Lee’s face. “You are welcome here whenever you want or need,” he says. “Not just for tea. I have two empty apartments in this building, and a private tunnel entrance.”

 _That doesn’t seem very neutral_ , Sokka bites back. There’s something strange and heavy in the air.

Lee’s eyes are wide. “Thank you for your help,” he says. Mushi looks as though he’s going to step forward again. Lee is stiff as a statue by Sokka’s side.

Mushi stops. “It is my pleasure,” he says graciously. “Thank you for coming by. If you have what you came for, I will—take my leave now,” he falters. He arranges the cups and cookie plate on his tray and heads for the door. 

“Wait—” Lee starts. Mushi turns around. His eyes look hopeful.

“I’ll help you clean up,” Lee says, jumping to his feet. He opens the door, and glances at Sokka. “You guys don’t need to wait for me. It’s really the least I can do for him after…everything.”

Mushi’s eyes are shining. The two of them leave so quickly that Sokka only registers their absence after Toph’s door shuts.

“The _fuck_ was that,” Sokka mutters. Somehow, he feels like he missed an entire conversation.

Toph bites her lip. For a moment, something unfamiliar and soft flutters across her face. “Nothing that’s our business,” she says. Then she’s all business again. “Come on, Snoozles! Let’s regroup to tell everyone what we know.” She grabs his uninjured arm and hauls him into a princess carry. Sokka shoots his eyes toward the door. Toph’s hand squeezes his arm gently. “I promise that Lee will be fine,” she says. “More than fine. We should go, so we can start planning.”

“We?” Sokka asks, just to hear her chuckle.

She does. “I’ll be back-up! You plan, and I’ll sit there and tell you when your ideas are ass.”

Sokka pretends to think about it. “Deal.” His brow furrows. _There will be a lot to do before next week._

It’s as if she can read his mind. “We got this,” she says.

 _I hope so_ , he doesn’t say out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko: oh god oh no oh fuck oh no HI UNCLE REMEMBER TO PRETEND WE DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER AND MY NAME IS LEE!!!!  
> Iroh: thought zuko was just gonna fuck off and keep pretending not to know him. overjoyed he's alive and has friends that don't want to kill him (and that human boy is very cute nephew)  
> Toph: :3c (blind all-seeing gremlin)  
> Sokka: what the FUCK is up w these vibes


	6. The Vampire in the Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally wrote this chapter last week and was so brain souped that I forgot to post it....my bad yall.  
> raid is next chapter finally

“Do you think there’s something…weird with Lee’s story?” Katara asks. Her tone is delicate, but she grips her coffee spoon tightly.

“I thought you had gotten over this,” Sokka says. After a moment, he sighs. “Yes,” he admits.

“I mean, I’m mostly over it,” Katara says. A pause. “He _did_ save your life. But—there’s just so much that isn’t quite adding up. I’m worried he’s hiding something that will put us in danger.”

Sokka grunts and grabs the coffee machine.

(“What the fuck was that?” Sokka asks Toph as soon as they get back. He’s asked the same question five different ways with no answer, but Sokka is nothing if not stubborn.

“None of my business,” Toph says for the fifth time. “If you’re so desperate to know what’s going on with Lee, then ask him.”

Sokka groans and buries his face in his hands. “He’s not going to answer,” he groans.

“That’s his business,” Toph says, clipped. Then she throws a stake at his head, and he gets distracted.)

He recounts the whole weird Jasmine Dragon meeting to Katara but leaves off his (basically confirmed) suspicion that Toph knows more than she’s letting on. When guilt wells up, he reminds himself that the last thing they need is more friction between Toph and Katara—especially when they’re planning a raid.

“Hmm,” Katara says. She takes a sip of her coffee and frowns. “Hmm,” she says again. “What did you think of Mushi?”

“I think he’s trustworthy,” Sokka says immediately. “I mean, his information is definitely good if Toph’s been using him for—” _years without telling us_ , he bites off. Katara just nods, and he continues, “I don’t understand why he’s so gung-ho about helping us, but I definitely think that he and Lee have a closer relationship than either of them lets on.”

“But why?” Katara says. She tugs on one of her hair loops absently. “Why lie now? Or…withhold information, I guess.”

“I know, right!” Sokka says, maybe a little overenthusiastically. Ah, sisters. He could do nothing without Katara. “It’s not like we’re going to kick him out now!” Honestly, Sokka’s not sure anything could possess him to throw Lee to the curb. He’s strong, and brave, and a little dorky, and hot, and if Sokka gives himself a moment to envision the curve of Lee’s back, well, he’s had a long morning.

The fantasy dissolves when Katara waves her hand in front of his face. “Hello,” she says. “Earth to Sokka. We were talking about the holes in Lee’s story?” Her face is amused, but her eyes are concerned.

Sokka coughs. “Right.” He ponders the information they have about Lee so far. “Well, he definitely is higher-ranked than he told us,” he says. “I think that explains a lot of the holes.”

Katara frowns. Suspicion shadows her gaze. “I don’t like that,” she says finally. “Knowing that he’s a higher rank and he didn’t tell us—it’s suspicious. Were we wrong to trust him so quickly?”

His tongue moves faster than his brain. “You can’t _fake_ saving my life,” he says first. Then: “It makes sense that he would lie when we had him chained in the basement,” Sokka says defensively. “Can you honestly say you wouldn’t have killed him or crippled him if you’d known what a threat he was?” Katara bites her lip. He raises his eyebrow meaningfully. His shoulders slump. “I just don’t get why he’s still lying.”

“Me neither,” Katara says. “I want to trust him, I do.” She smiles, just a little. “And not just because my big brother likes him. I just think that—maybe he should sit out of the raid planning. Just for a little.”

Sokka frowns. The argument rises in his throat, but he tamps it down. Because really, he has no rebuttal. Saying _it would hurt Lee’s feeling and I don’t want him to hate me_ is whiny and counterproductive. Anyway, Lee hasn’t even texted him. He has no idea if he’s still at the Jasmine Dragon.

His phone buzzes, and Sokka leaps for it. It’s a text from Suki. He tries not to pout. _Big news_ , it says.

He texts her back. _like vampire news? or like fun dating news *eyebrow wiggle*_. The next message sent immediately: _either way i wanna knowww_

 _Vampires news. Big. Will tell you all tonight._ Suki sends. _Make sure Lee is there. Hoping he has more info._

When he shows the message to Katara, she just sighs.

***

As much as he loves Haru and Teo, Sokka loves having room to sprawl out more—especially when his leg is still sore. Without two extra bodies, he luxuriates in the beanbag chair by himself. When Katara plops down next to him, he frowns. Aang frowns too, hand pausing mid-wave. Her eye barely flicks in Lee’s direction. Sokka rolls his eyes but moves over, leaving Lee to sit next to Suki and Aang on the couch. Toph is sprawled on the floor in a mess of limbs. They’ve barely situated themselves before Sokka props himself on his uninjured elbow and says “Okay, Suki. Spill.”

“Prince Zuko is dead,” Suki says seriously. “The Sozin clan heir,” she adds. “Apparently it was a couple of days ago. Maybe a week?”

“How did we not know this?” Katara asks.

“Well,” Suki starts counting on her fingers, “vampire clans are notoriously secretive about their fledgling heirs. I mean, the Kyoshi Warriors don’t know what a single one of them looks like, and we’ve been doing this way longer than Team Avatar—no offense. It’s not surprising that they’d want to hide one dying. Second, according to the guy Biyu tortured, it seems this guy was only in the line of succession as a formality and most of the responsibilities went to Ozai’s lieutenant. Third—”

“No, I _know_ all of that,” Katara interrupts. “I meant why didn’t we know it already?” She stares at Lee. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Then she furrows her brow and glares at Toph. “Did _you_ know something?”

Lee opens his mouth, then shuts it. The fingers twisted in his pants tremble. “I guess I forgot,” he says in a low tone. His eyes are firmly fixed on the peeling plaster to his left.

Sokka grimaces. If he thinks that’s going to placate Katara, he’s sorely mistaken.

It’s like pulling a pin out of a flash bomb. Katara’s face twists with rage. Sokka, who was reaching to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, takes it back before it gets bitten off. “You forgot!?” She yells. “How are Sozin clan heirs not important? Have you _forgotten_ that the whole point of Team Avatar right now is to stop the Sozin clan?”

Lee’s eyes are wide. He flinches back. “I was a little busy not _dying_ the first couple days I was here,” he says defensively. “Anyway, Suki is right. Prince Zuko was never useful to Ozai. His death was probably a relief. His daughter—the lieutenant—is the rightful heir now, just like she was always meant to be.” His voice is dry and bitter. Then his shoulders droop infinitesimally. “I’m sorry,” he bites off.

If anything, Katara’s scowl deepens. “You still should have told us,” she bites out. “As soon as you remembered. You’re a member of Team Avatar now. That’s what we do.” The glare she levels at Lee could freeze a lesser man.

Sokka keeps his eyes on the floor. Katara is right. Still— “Can you tell us more about the lieutenant?” He blurts out. At the very least, he can give Lee a chance to make up for it.

When he hazards a glance upward, Lee’s shoulders have relaxed slightly, but the muscles of his arms are still tensed. “Her name is Azula.” He says. He looks at Katara. “She usually has her hair in a bun with two strands. She wears a belt with flame insignia. She’s Ozai’s best fighter, but she prefers to send other people to do her dirty work. She’s skilled at mind control and teleportation, too.” His jaw clenches. “If you’re lucky, you’ll never face her in battle.” His thumb swipes along his neck. All that remains of the deep gouge on his throat is a pale line. (Sokka wants to lick it. What is _wrong_ with him?)

“Is that all?” Katara asks.

“Do you have questions?” Lee responds.

“What happened to Prince Zuko?” Suki asks. “You must know that.”

Lee swallows uncomfortably. “I only heard that the lieutenant killed him, and it wasn’t much of a fight. That’s all I can tell you.” He adds, “Ty Lee—the one who makes the amulets—is a close associate of Azula’s. If you go after her, you’ll definitely be in the lieutenant’s crossfires.”

Aang stops following Lee and Katara with his eyes long enough to wince. “Honestly, I was hoping we wouldn’t have to hurt her,” he admits.

Lee’s jaw drops open. “Wouldn’t have to—you heard me say that she’s an incredibly powerful vampire, right?” His voice is incredulous. “What, do you think she’s just going to switch sides?”

“You did,” Sokka points out. Lee looks at him. His lips part slightly.

Toph shoots into a seated position. “Hello!” She says, waving her hand in front of her face. “I did it first!”

No one responds. “I thought that the Sun Monks were dead,” Aang says to Lee. The fingers of his right hand twist around the amulet on his opposite thumb. ( _It’s a reminder_ , he had said when Katara asked him why he wore it. _Of everything I’ve lost._ ) “Now that I know that there’s someone else who can carry out their teachings, I can’t just destroy her.”

“She’s a vampire,” Lee says slowly.

“So are you,” Aang says. “And in the time you’ve been here, you’ve saved Sokka’s life and given us information about Ozai’s plans we never could have had otherwise.” He looks at Katara, then back to Lee. “If we had killed you that night just because you were a vampire, we never would have seen all the good you could do—all the good you _can_ do.”

Sokka bites his lip, suddenly uncomfortably aware that even if they’ve all lost something in the endless clan struggles, Aang’s the only one who’s lost _everything_. Katara hangs her head next to him. He reaches out and squeezes her hand.

Lee lets out another one of those adorable sighs. “You’re right,” he says to Aang. “If you really want to talk to her eventually, I’ll help you…figure something out.” He shifts uncomfortably. “She is dangerous,” he adds. “I’m not joking about that.” He looks at Katara. “Anything else?” His gaze slides over to Sokka. “Any of you,” he adds.

 _What else are you hiding?_ Sokka wonders. _Who are you?_

Suki coughs, breaking the heavy silence in the room. “Anyway,” she says. “I figured we could talk about the raid, and hopefully Lee and Toph will have some new information for us. I’ll bring these plans back to the Kyoshi Warriors, and we’ll regroup and hammer out the details.”

Katara’s hand tightens into a vise-like grip. Sokka winces, and Lee’s head snaps up. _Are you okay?_ He mouths. Sokka gives a watery grin and a thumbs-up from the arm cradled against his chest. Lee looks unconvinced, but he turns his gaze to Suki when she starts talking again.

“Please,” Sokka hisses through clenched teeth. “I need at _least_ one fully functional hand.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Katara whispers. She gives his hand a little pat. “For what it’s worth, I definitely didn’t squeeze it hard enough to do any damage.” He frowns. She frowns back.

“…and then we can regroup back at the old Red Lily building,” Suki finishes. “How’s that for a rough plan?” She adds expectantly.

Sokka bites his lip and looks at Katara. She looks back and shrugs. He puts a hand to his head. At least it’s only the rough session.

“It’ll be more dangerous than you think,” Lee says. “Almost all the old buildings along that corridor have entrances into the tunnels. If the Sozins send backup through any of those, we could be pinned on both sides.”

“We don’t exactly have other options though, do we?” Suki asks with a sigh. “We can only go through the Red Lily entrance, and we can only stay in that corridor.”

Sokka frowns. “Does any part of the transport route go through a different part of town?” He asks Lee. “Somewhere without entrances?”

Lee furrows his brow and puts his hand to his chin. “If it’s the same route as usual, the last stretch goes under the garment district. There won’t be any entrances or exits there. But—”

“—Then we’re more than a mile from our entrance,” Sokka finishes. Lee nods. “And we’ll need to be in place earlier,” Sokka continues.

“Not necessarily,” Toph says. “The Jasmine Dragon isn’t that far from the district. We could always enter through the Red Lily and leave through there.”

Katara frowns. “But then we’ll be coming into a vampire café in the middle of the night. That could be even riskier.”

“Mushi would help us,” Toph says. She sticks her jaw out.

“Look, I’m not trying to be rude, but most of us have never even _met_ this guy, and we’re supposed to trust him for our most important mission yet? And could Mushi fight off his whole clientele, if they caught us and wanted us for dinner?”

“Yes,” Lee says softly. Louder, he adds, “The Jasmine Dragon entrance comes up in the storeroom, anyway.”

“We would need someone who was familiar with that stretch of the tunnels,” Katara continues. “Toph is the only one of us with experience in that area, and has she ever gone there through the tunnels?” Toph shakes her head.

“There’s me,” Lee points out. “I know the tunnels like the back of my hand.”

Sokka raises an eyebrow at Katara. _Lee’s our best asset_ , he mouths.

She rolls her eyes to the heavens and a _whoosh_ of air comes out of her mouth. “Okay,” she says. “What do you think, Lee?”

***

“Fine,” she says to Sokka later. The living room is empty except for the two of them. Aang is sleeping before his shift. Suki left with four flash bombs, a new prototype for Teo’s dad, and a promise ( _take notes_ , he had pouted). Toph and Lee left together, with a half-drunk blood bag and a wordless glance, respectively.

“I didn’t even say anything,” he halfheartedly protests.

“We don’t really have a choice,” Katara sighs.

“I know,” Sokka says. _I would want him anyway_ , he doesn’t say.

“I’m going to be with you two when we split,” she says, sticking her chin out.

Half-formed visions of bonding dissipate in front of his eyes. “You’re giving me whiplash,” he groans. He throws his head back for good measure and watches her face from the corner of his eyes. Her lips twitch and she thwaps his head. “Ow,” he grumbles.

“If I really didn’t think he was trustworthy, he wouldn’t be coming.” Her voice brooks no argument—not that Sokka has one to make. He hasn’t won a real argument with Katara in five years. “But I want to see what he’s really capable of. And I don’t want him by Aang, in the tunnels.” She glares when he opens his mouth. “Just in case.”

He glares back. “I was _going_ to agree,” he says. “If nothing else, to reassure you. There’s no one else I’d rather be down there with, anyway,” he adds.

She smiles, then smirks. “What if Lee went shirtless down there?” She asks innocently.

He pretends to think. “Hmm…you might have some stiff competition.” She laughs.

In the comfortable silence that settles over the two of them, he pulls out his notes. _Not long now_.

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on tumblr @zukosbian with thoughts/to chat  
> I have the second chapter completely written--should I just post it tomorrow or should I wait until I've written/mostly written the third chapter or should I try and make a consistent update schedule?  
> I have a pretty good idea for everything in this universe but if anyone thinks things need more fleshing out please let me know!


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